Muralitharan's class bowls English over

Sheer Genius had its way at The Oval yesterday when Muthiah Muralitharan, an off-spinner with an action that might get him a job as a circus contortionist, bowled Sri Lanka to victory on the final day of the one-off match, producing some of the most remarkable figures ever seen.

England, 54 for two overnight, were finally dismissed for 181 shortly before five o'clock, with Muralitharan taking nine for 65 from 54.2 overs, the seventh-best innings figures ever if only the third best on this ground.

But his match analysis of 16 for 220 has been bettered only in number of wickets by Jim Laker (19) and Sydney Barnes (17) and in terms of runs as well by Narendra Hirwani and Bob Massie. On a blameless pitch that had yielded four magnificent centuries, one of them a double, and on which no other bowler could make headway, this was bowling that bordered on fantasy.

Muralitharan's single-handed demolition of England left Sri Lanka 14 overs in which to score 36 to win. They required precisely five of them, and lost no wickets.

Sri Lanka have now beaten England in successive Tests at home and away, and are also one-day champions of the world.

When Muralitharan had retrieved the match ball from David Shepherd and retreated to the pavilion, the crowd gathered to salute a wonderful team achievement. England, remember, had made 445 in their first innings, sufficient in almost any circumstance to dispel thoughts of losing. Instead, the sheer lack of inhibition in the Sri Lankan batting gave Muralitharan time.

Milestone after milestone was reached and passed by Muralitharan as he wove his spell, first from one end and then the other. When Ben Hollioake was leg before wicket to his first ball, the opening delivery of the afternoon session, it equalled his best match haul of 12 wickets.

Eleven runs later, when Dominic Cork swept too vigorously and gloved a catch to the diving wicketkeeper, he had become only the fourth finger spinner to reach 200 Test wickets and, along with Shane Warne, the fifth fastest to that mark of all Test bowlers.

Four balls later, with the demise of Ian Salisbury, he had equalled the 14 wickets taken in a Test on this ground by Australia's Demon Spofforth 106 years ago and by Whispering Death, Michael Holding, 22 years since.

There was more. When Hashan Tillekeratne caught Ramprakash, it gave him his eighth wicket, more than he had taken in a Test innings before and the one which made him the leading bowler in the world this year, taking him past Donald's 66 wickets. It had been a privilege to watch.